Category Archives: Landscape Photography

A Tribute to Dune Succession

The Cowles Bog Trail at Indiana Dunes National Park exemplifies dune succession, a concept pioneered by Henry Chandler Cowles. The process begins with marram grass, which stabilizes sand and enriches soil over time, allowing diverse flora, from flowers to oaks, to develop. This ecological transformation highlights the area’s significance in American ecology. Continue reading

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A Bunny’s View of a Springtime Woodland

In the woodlands of early May, shy waxy white blossoms of mayapples hide under their umbrella-like foliage. Continue reading

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It Can Take Decades

The image here showcases a hanging fen and a sedge meadow, two unique wetland habitats Mike has been trying to photograph for over twenty years. The fen, fed by a gravel hill’s seep, features rare plants like Ohio goldenrod and sphynx lady tresses orchid, adapted to its alkaline water conditions. Continue reading

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Go With the Blow

Go With the Blow Well, I did my first below-zero photo shoot of the winter season on January 15.  It was one below, so it qualified. Most of the time, the wind is my nemesis. But on this bitter afternoon, … Continue reading

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Winter Red

Winter Red So far this winter, the magic of frozen white was nowhere to be found. So, I tried to photograph it, anyway. With dense fog predicted for the morning of Dec. 24, I visited Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in … Continue reading

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From Dreary to Dreamy

From Dreary to Dreamy Just in case you’re unaware, all of my images are available as big, beautiful photographic prints. More than just pretty, they tell elaborate stories that celebrate Chicago’s wondrous habitats and inhabitants. Click here for more information. … Continue reading

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Sometimes You Just Need A Little Distance

Sometimes You Just Need A Little Distance The great blue heron is one of Chicago’s most recognizable and elusive birds. Pass by any wetland, and you’ll probably see one off in the distance, hunting motionless, like a statue in the … Continue reading

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The Extraordinary in the “Ordinary”

The Extraordinary in the “Ordinary” I am both haunted and fascinated by a phrase that’s often used to praise and describe my work. It all came to a head one day after I performed my one-man show about Chicago nature. … Continue reading

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Light in Landscape Photography: A Matter of Life & Depth

Good light can bring shape and depth to a photograph. In particular, low side-lighting or “glancing light” can be used to transform your landscape photographs and make them come to life. In Photo A (below), the feathery June grass, yellow flowers of hoary … Continue reading

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Landscape Photography: Use Your Mind’s Eye

A photograph is a facsimile of reality and our experience. Sometimes it represents the moment quite accurately; at other times, quite poorly. Landscape photography can be more like the latter. This article is about how to photographically communicate the drama and the … Continue reading

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